Despite a defeat against
BK ROG Esports during the
LFL Days 2024 in Nice,
GameWard's
coach,
Benjamin "Fara" Stoffel, is not ready to give up. Determined, the team is now preparing to continue its journey towards the playoffs next week. In this
exclusive interview, Fara discusses his vision for the team and his hopes for the future.
GameWard, after a victory at the LFL Days 2024 against Aegis.
| What do you think didn't work during your match against BKR?
Fara: "It wasn't easy; we were completely in line with our plans in terms of draft and the type of opposition we wanted to build. However, we fell behind very early in the game. Maybe the way we elaborated our plans wasn't right, or maybe we executed them poorly; to know, we'll have to debrief with the players. We couldn't stop the bleeding in time; we were 30 seconds away from managing to stall the game, and it got out of hand. These things happen."
| What does it feel like to play on stage in Nice in front of so many fans?
Fara: "It's a great experience for everyone. The players were excited to be there. I think it was a bit intimidating, but from my side, I felt it very little. All the players on the team have already played on stage. They already had this experience, and afterward, we talked about what bothered them in previous years to prepare them as much as possible for the LFL Days."
| Are you liking the atmosphere in Nice?
Fara: "The atmosphere at the venue was crazy. I mostly stayed backstage, so I couldn't really enjoy it, but I'll go see the crowd. At the hotel, it's really great, it's an opportunity to see all the people from the LFL. It feels good to meet people in person."
| This year, you are coaching Matias again, a player you've worked with for a long time. What do you think of him? Are you happy to be able to work with him again?
Fara: "If I wanted to work with him again, it's because I think he has a lot of potential. We also know that he can improve in several areas. I find that he has a good way of working; he already has a lot of things in place, and now, we need to progress and keep working. He's a player I respect a lot."
| What do you think of your match against Aegis? Do you feel ready to face them?
Note: GameWard won this match the next day.
Fara: "Yeah, we feel ready, and we approach it like any other team. We're going to have a thorough preparation. They have the initiative on choosing sides, so they will arrive a bit more prepared than us, they have probably already done everything, and we don't yet know what they have chosen. We'll adapt until tomorrow; we have about ten hours to do it, and we'll do our best."
| Your career has experienced a rapid ascent without even going through Division 2. How do you feel about your position at GameWard? Are you proud of your team management so far?
Fara: "I feel good about my construction. It was important to have a few veterans to support me. The experience I will lack in terms of coaching experience, I will recover through the journey I had before. I still have a master's degree in psychology and some professional experience on the side, so it allows me to bring structure to the team's operation."
| Are there any other staff members that we don't know about? How is the staff structured at GameWard?
Fara: "This year, we opted for a rather small staff. On a daily basis, it's only me and the team manager. He ensures both player follow-up and takes care very well of all the logistical aspects of the team."
| GameWard has expressed the desire to redeem itself compared to its performances last year. Do you feel pressure related to the team's expectations?
Fara: "The difficulty is that the projects have changed a lot between 2022 and 2023. In 2022, GameWard had a very good year, and in 2023, the project was very different, and unfortunately, we didn't have good results. This year, we have a very different project philosophy; we went to get rookies to make them progress. It remains a bet that I decided to take on, and I am still confident in our ability to do so. We could have done better in the first few weeks; we had some very close games that we could have won. I'm not worried about the trajectory we're taking."
| Is the plan to perform directly, or are you rather looking towards the future and the Summer Split?
Fara: "Anyway, we're looking towards the future. On the other hand, I would say that the greatest ambition for the future is the Summer Split. We try every day to perform well during the Spring, but we know it can take time to put everything in place."
